She waited several seconds after asking before Hu Jiasheng opened his eyes.
He stroked her hair while gazing at her with tender affection.
“You had a marriage engagement since you were little. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Chen Jiaojiao’s hand paused as she stared intently at him.
“What? Does it bother you?”
“No.”
Chen Jiaojiao pouted in annoyance.
“This happened over twenty years ago. I wasn’t even born yet when they made the decision for me. What does it have to do with me?”
“I’ve never taken it seriously since I was a child! What era is this? Taking a joke as truth? Lu Mingzhe isn’t going to have trouble finding a wife, so isn’t this just ridiculous?”
“No matter what, I won’t leave you! My dad’s words are useless! You’re not allowed to give up on me!”
Hu Jiasheng maintained his expression.
“You shouldn’t have turned off your phone, let alone traveled all this way. If there’s a problem, it’s best to solve it face to face.”
“You challenge your dad’s authority, so naturally he’ll be contrary to you out of spite?”
“Hmph!”
Mentioning her father annoyed Chen Jiaojiao, and she buried her face in his neck.
“So now you also think I’m in the wrong and want to teach me a lesson on behalf of my dad?”
Hu Jiasheng rubbed her head with his chin.
“You know that’s not what I mean.”
“Then what do you mean?”
“I just don’t want you to get hurt, and I don’t want anyone to get hurt in this matter.”
“Is it because you know Lu Mingzhe’s father has some influence, and you’re afraid of offending him?”
Hu Jiasheng chuckled softly, not answering.
She lifted her head.
“Ah Sheng, why don’t I make the first move? We’ll force them to submit to me.”
“Let’s go get our marriage certificate. Tomorrow. I don’t believe Lu Mingzhe can forcefully take me if I’m already yours.”
He hadn’t expected her to be so bold for his sake.
To be honest, at his age, having someone love him so openly, without reservation, without ulterior motives, and with their whole heart.
Chen Jiaojiao was the first.
Hu Jiasheng, moved, lowered his head and kissed her forehead.
“Silly girl, I already told you I have foreign nationality. It’s not that I don’t want to get married, but the timing is too rushed. We can’t do it tomorrow.”
Chen Jiaojiao was flustered.
After thinking it over.
“Then come back with me to see my dad, express your feelings to him, and we’ll resist together.”
“Did you mention me to him before?”
“…Even if I didn’t mention it before, it doesn’t matter if we go tomorrow!”
She thought very simply.
But as a man, a man who valued face above all else, he couldn’t think so simply.
“Jiaojiao, listen to me. Although I have half the blood of the Zhan family, I’m ultimately not recognized by the outside world.”
“On one hand, I’m not sure if your father will mind this. On the other hand… this happened so suddenly, I haven’t told my family.”
“Even if we go, I can’t give Lu Mingzhe the same respect.”
“I’m afraid it would be undignified for your elders to accompany me to propose.”
Chen Jiaojiao didn’t care.
“I know all that you’ve said, and I don’t care. As long as you have me in your heart, I don’t care about anything else.”
But Hu Jiasheng had more to say.
“Currently, I’m only a nominal CEO at Zhan’s, with no shares, just like a regular employee…”
“I don’t care about your money! I know all that you’re saying!”
“Aren’t you afraid that one day I might be incompetent at work, and Zhan Beijue will dislike me and dismiss me…”
Chen Jiaojiao grew impatient.
“After saying so much, do you want to marry me or not? I’ve already said I’m not afraid of anything! As long as you love me, I don’t care about anything else!”
“Silly girl…”
Hu Jiasheng caressed her face affectionately.
“Alright then, since you insist, we’ll go tomorrow.”
The two held each other tightly. Chen Jiaojiao, fearing her father might call that night to put on a sad act, turned off her phone again.
A night of passionate embrace.
The next day, the two woke up early, preparing to drive to Jincheng.
As soon as they finished their morning routines, Chen Jiaojiao received a call from a designer at the company.
“Oh, President Chen, your phone is finally on! I was looking for you all day yesterday! Where have you been?”
“Did something happen at the company?”
As they were getting dressed together, Hu Jiasheng’s gaze also fell upon her upon hearing the voice.
Chen Jiaojiao put down her phone and switched to speakerphone.
“What’s wrong? Why are you so flustered so early in the morning?”
“Yesterday was the acceptance and completion inspection for the first phase of the project. It was a big day, did you forget?”
Chen Jiaojiao, preoccupied with her own distress, had indeed forgotten.
Hearing him say that, her nerves instantly jumped.
“Was there a problem with the inspection?”
“Yes! Didn’t expect that, did you! We confidently declared, after half a year of public attention, that the first phase, which we vowed would be a landmark project in Jincheng, failed to meet standards in several key data points!”
“Our design team stayed up all night yesterday, carefully comparing the design blueprints with various parameters.”
“Indeed, there are no major discrepancies with the blueprints, but…”
“But what?”
This was the first project Chen Jiaojiao had taken over managing the company.
It was the first gift Hu Jiasheng had given her through his personal connections.
A major project that Jincheng was watching from all angles, and which might affect the entire city’s appearance in the future.
And it had a damn problem?
Chen Jiaojiao could hardly imagine the consequences.
“At a time like this, you’re still beating around the bush? Just say it directly!”
“Our initial estimate is that the later data deviations were caused by problems with the raw materials. But as for which specific type, or if it’s all of them, it still needs to be analyzed…”
Chen Jiaojiao immediately denied it.
“Impossible! It’s precisely because I knew raw materials could be problematic that I used our own materials, how could it be…”
As she spoke, she suddenly felt a pang of guilt.
Her father, a self-made man from the countryside with little formal education, how did he build his empire to what it is today?
Coal mines, building materials, real estate.
Could it be…
She cast a fearful glance at Hu Jiasheng.
Hu Jiasheng frowned slightly, knowing the severity of the situation like her, but he was calmer.
“I’m hanging up. We’re leaving now. We’ll discuss everything when we get to the site.”
Zhan Beijue also only learned of this news after waking up.
Just as Ah Zhong began investigating Hu Jiasheng, he found such a handle.
He immediately informed Jiang Nan Fang that he was going to Jincheng.
“I might not be back for a few days. Take care of yourself and the child. Call me if anything comes up.”
“Okay. Don’t rush or get upset. Wait until there’s concrete evidence before saying anything.”
“Regardless, Hu Jiasheng currently represents Zhan’s. Publicly slapping his face is equivalent to slapping yourself.”
“Understood.” Zhan Beijue quickly pecked her lips. “I’m off!”
On the way, he called Lu Mingzhe again.
“How are the preparations for the wedding? I’m going to Jincheng now and will be dealing with Chen Jiaojiao. I want to take advantage of the situation, so hurry and come over.”
And so, Zhan Beijue with Ah Zhong, Hu Jiasheng with Chen Jiaojiao, and Lu Mingzhe driving himself,
Three groups set off for Jincheng, one after another.
After exiting the highway, Chen Jiaojiao asked Hu Jiasheng to drive to her home first.
“No need to bother testing the data. You’ll know what the problem is when you ask my dad at home.”